Cup Spy – Day 19: Louis Vuitton Cup – Finals Day 5 – From Calamity to Comeback
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 1 Oct 07:35 PDT
1 October 2024
Luna Rossa – deep in the nosedive – Finals Louis Vuitton Cup – Race 7 – Day 19, October 1, 2024 – Barcelona © America’s Cup
Sail-World’s coverage of Day 19 of the Louis Vuitton Cup – Finals Race Day 5 – October 1, 2024.
Race Summaries:
Final – Match 7: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start 1410hrs CET 1210hrs UTC
Soon after rounding Mark 1, Luna Rossa experienced a significant structural problem with the jib traveller, lifting deck fairings. The crew ceased racing but stayed in the course to compel the British to continue. The incident took place when Luna Rossa nosedived abruptly following the first mark, seemingly triggered by a rudder issue. The AC75 drove the bow deep into the water, came to a halt while sailing at 50kts, lifted out, and rested on its stern before stopping completely.
In slow motion, Luna Rossa entered the bearway with the hull level and appeared to be accelerating properly, however, the boat tripped over its foils, plunging the bow into the water. It ploughed through the water at a steady angle until the buoyancy in the bow leveled the boat, bringing it to a stop.
For a replay of Luna Rossa’s nosedive, click here
Numerous fairing panels were loose. Fortunately, the damage was less severe compared to Emirates Team New Zealand’s nosedive and capsize during the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda, when carbon fairing was scattered across the Great Sound.
The best prognosis, which turned out to be correct, indicated that the nosedive merely lifted the deck fairings without causing structural damage below.
Italy opted to retire, and the race was awarded to INEOS Britannia.
The Italians were hopeful of sailing in Race 8. Francesco Bruni noted that it was not a rudder issue but rather a balance problem between the sails and foils that caused the trip.
The boat underwent temporary repairs and went for a test sail, successfully participating in Race 8 after the wind limit was exceeded several times.
Final – Match 8: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Port Startbox Entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start 1515hrs CET 1315hrs UTC
The start experienced multiple delays as they awaited the wind limit to fall below 21 knots.
INEOS Britannia made things easier for Luna Rossa by crossing over the port boundary while turning back in the pre-start.
This meant the British team had to drop back to 75 meters behind, which the Italians extended to 136 meters halfway up Leg 1.
Mark 1: 03m 23secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 12secs
Mark 2: 06m 13secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 6secs, after ITA lost some speed in the turn.
Mark 3: 10m 09secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 7secs
Mark 4: 13m 03secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 7secs. ITA lost distance during the rounding and both boats opted for opposite sides while going uphill. ITA chose the preferred starboard boundary.
Mark 5: 17m 10secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 9secs
Mark 6: 19m 50secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 12secs
Mark 7: 23m 43secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 16secs or 355 meters.
Finish: 26m 32secs ITA led GBR by a margin of 16secs or 300 meters. Wind gusting to 24 knots during the final downhill run.
You can watch today’s racing live here:
Weather Prognosis:
America’s Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has set up a dedicated Race Weather Center, giving fans access to detailed daily weather breakdowns, live webcams, and historical weather data along with daily weather insights written by meteorologists.
Provisional Forecast Race Day 19:
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Light winds in the morning, transitioning to a South-Westerly by midday. The wind will quickly strengthen, expecting 14 to 18 knots during the races. The wind direction should stabilize around 220°, with gusts up to 23 knots.
Due to the winds, waves may reach a height of one meter in the afternoon, originating from the South-West with a short 3-second period.
The clear morning skies will turn cloudy by the afternoon, with temperatures climbing to 25°C.
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
The wind pattern is predicted to shift on Wednesday, with forecasts indicating winds from the East-South-East at 8 to 12 knots.
The sea conditions will be about 1 meter coming from the East-South-East with a 4-second period.
Overcast skies are expected, with temperatures dropping a few degrees. Rain is anticipated late in the day and into the night.
By Arnaud Monges, former America’s Cup Team Meteorologist reporting for Predictwind
Course Location:
While waiting for coverage to begin, stay updated with the following:
Virtual Eye
After the races, you can replay highlights or the entire race using Virtual Eye from ARL.
Check out the start of yesterday’s race and observe Luna Rossa’s misstep that allowed the Brits to gain a sizable lead that they maintained.
You can access the Virtual Eye America’s Cup coverage directly by clicking here, then click on “Watch Previous” to select the race you want to view. Virtual Eye offers a 3D view, enabling zoom in, out, and around, as if you were in a helicopter.
Inside tack – INEOS Britannia
Proposed Match Schedule:
Final – Match 7: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start 1410hrs CET 1210hrs UTC
Final – Match 8: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Port Startbox Entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start 1515hrs CET 1315hrs UTC
Crew Lists To be confirmed
